Life is a Dream
by EndoplasmicRidicule
Summary: The teen years are usually the hardest times in a person's life. DrugAbuse
1. Chapter 1

Life is a Dream

Chapter 1

_Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!_

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD OLGA, TURN THAT DAMN ALARM CLOCK OFF!!!"

"Alright! Alright! Criminey…"

A drowsy Helga G. Pataki rose herself from the comfort of her satin sheets and stumbled clumsily through the darkness until her hands came across the very item that was the cause of such chaos. After turning off the alarm, Helga ventured into the nearest (and only) bathroom located in the Pataki household. She examined her appearance in the teal green vanity mirror. Dull blue eyes, tangled blond hair, and pale white skin greeted her. Ever so gently, Helga pulled back the sleeves of her night gown. The teen's arms were covered in track marks. She sneered at her appearance. How could she have sunk so low? It had only been three months since that fateful day. On this day, Helga G. Pataki had finally realized that her beloved would never be hers. The day that that auburn haired slut had snatched up the sweet boy that had plagued all of her thoughts and dreams for years. The day that the inevitable had happened. The day Arnold Shortman confessed his love for Lila Sawyer.

He'd been crushing on her since 4thgrade but never had the audacity to ask her out. Only at the end of sophomore year did he finally tell her how he truly felt. Over the years the shy, well behaved, and self proclaimed "Little Miss Perfect" had matured into a beautiful young vixen. Her conservative and childish attire had long since been replaced with crop tops, skimpy mini skirts, and more provocative wear. She gossiped with only the most "in" of the in-crowd and carried herself with the confidence of a supermodel. So it was not much of a surprise that Lila had found herself yet another boy-toy to play around with. And Arnold proved to be quite a catch. Although he was far from the ultra buff hunks that most girls salivated after, he had developed a lean and muscular physique due to all the sports he participated in. His cornflower blond hair no longer resembled a broomstick and had rested at the nape of his neck. He stood at a height of 5"10. Not too tall. Not too short. To put it in teen-aged girl lingo, Arnold was your typical "hottie". Helga sighed softly and smiled thinking about how handsome he had grown to be. Her brief and happy reverie was brought to sudden end however from a horrible memory. During that hot June day, Helga had walked in on Arnold and his new girlfriend in the midst of a make-out session. The sight of her beloved kissing…kissing that bitch! It only rubbed salt into her freshly opened wounds. She ran home at full speed and threw herself onto her bed, sobbing hysterically. It didn't matter that she had made the honor roll for that year. It didn't matter that Big Bob and Miriam were finally beginning to acknowledge her existence. Who gave a fuck! If she couldn't obtain the one thing that mattered most in her life, than perhaps life wasn't worth living.

Thoughts of suicide had momentarily graced her mind when her sulking had been interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. "Oy! 'Elgs, how's it goin'? S'been forever since we've last talked.", Charlie, a transfer student from Wales she had befriended that year, asked. "Bitchin' good Charles.", Helga responded morosely, " Life's never been better." "So thy lady says. Though I detect a most distinct sense of distress in your angelic voice. Tell me 'Elgs, what is the cause of such unhappiness?". Helga smirked at her friend's wittiness. It's what had drawn her to him in the first place. Charles "Charlie" Ainsworth had only been attending Bickman High for six months but already half of the female population attending school had a crush on him. With his laid back mannerism, Welsh accent, and unique style, Charlie was the epitome of the chick magnet. He became good friends with both Stinky and Sid. The three boys eventually formed a band called Julie's Tears of Passion. Sid performed vocals and guitar, Stinky did drums, and Charlie provided screaming vocals and bass. Despite getting off to a slow start, the band proved to be very successful and within seven weeks the boys had secured a record deal. Their first album was to be released in spring.

"It's nothing Charlie. I just haven't been feeling too well lately. You know, it must be that bug that's been going around. Highly contagious and all…"

"Riiiiiiight. Well in that cause, you must be too sick to attend our performance at Quigley Stadium. What with the fl-"

"Quigley Stadium!!! Criminey, are you kidding me? They booked you for a performance?"

"Of course they booked us . Why wouldn't they? We're only one of the best recently formed bands out there **and **the youngest might I add. Me, Sid, and Stinks reserved you and Pheebs front row seats."

"Charlie…"

"No need to thank me. Just show up around sevenish, before the majority of the crowd shows up. I already gave Pheebs a call."

Helga remained silent for a few seconds. "What could ever I do to repay you?"

"Jesus Fuckin' Chris' 'Elgs! What happened to that smart arsed, tough as nails bitch that I've come to know and love? You're acting like a total cream puff. Yeh don't need to pay shit, just come and enjoy. M'kay?"

"Fine. But expect me to ram my foot up your ass for calling me a bitch and a cream puff all in the same sentence!"

"Tha's more like it " he responded happily.

Helga said a hasty good bye to her friend and glanced at her clock; 5:35 p.m. it read. Good, she had about thirty minutes to get ready and from there it was a ten minute walk to Pheebie's house. The stadium was fifteen minutes by car depending on traffic. Helga couldn't help but smile regardless of the events that had occurred earlier that day. Things were starting to look up.


	2. Chapter 2

Life is a Dream

Chapter 2

**Present Day**

Helga stifled a loud yawn. She'd been up all night feeding her "little habit". Just recently she had been introduced to the art of snorting cocaine and was immediately hooked to it. Her stash was beginning to run low and she was in need of another hit. Big time. She gathered up a large yellow towel and a bottle of cinnamon spice body wash. A nice hot shower was just what her stiff, aching body needed. Once finished, she changed into a black sweater, jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. She rushed down the stairs in a hurry only to be greeted by a completely wrecked living room. Ever since Big Bob had gotten laid off from work, he had neglected cleaning up the house. Miriam had taken up a job at some coffee company ("or was it tea?", Helga thought) which led to her being gone all day long. After shuffling around the many beer cans that littered the floor, Helga exited the Pataki household and walked down the streets of her neighbourhood. Not much had changed over the years. Sure there was a little more graffitti and the crime rate had definitely risen (Sheena's house had been broken into and ransacked just a couple of weeks ago) but it was still a fairly decent place to live. After walking a few blocks she decided to catch a bus. It was almost empty save for the bus driver, Helga herself, and a man who obviously belonged to a gang. He had piercing black eyes, bulging muscles, and stood at a height that could rival Torvald's. His arms were covered in tattoos that depicted pictures of different complex designs. Despite his imitating appearance, Helga boldly walked down the aisle and greeted him. "Hey Ludwig, long time no see!". Ludwig simply nodded his head and continued to stare at the back of the seats in front of him.

At the beginning of their freshman year, Ludwig and Wolfgang had been caught stealing school property and setting it on fire. Both boys had been suspended for doing such a thing. Upon hearing that his son was in trouble again, Ludwig's father had given him an ultimatem: Attend an intensive military camp program or don't bother coming home. Ludwig had chosen the later. Wolfgang had been offered the exact same choice and like Ludwig he too chose to live on the streets. However, he was busted again. This time he had stolen a car from their former principal. Upon attending trial and being found guilty, he was again given two choices: Go to jail or go to the military camp he was offered to attend before. Wolfgang had chosen the camp. This decision had changed him for the better. All of the discipline he endured,rigorous training , and counseling had taught Wolfgang respect, responsibilty, and honor. He also became a born again christian. By his senior year, Wolfgang had been voted Homecoming king, Prom king, and Most likely to succeed. He joined the army immediately after graduating. As for Ludwig, he dropped out midway through his junior year and joined a gang.

Ludwig and Helga departed from the bus after it made a stop near the old vacant lot they used to fight over back in elementary school. Both teens were there for the same reason: cocaine. Helga had last talked to Ludwig about a month ago. Although they were more like aquaintences than friends, the two would frequently be seen together smoking or playing cards. It was Ludwig who had first shown Helga how to snort coke. She was reluctant at first, after all, not more than two months earlier she had first injected heroin. But… if the effects of heroin felt as good as it did, than imagine what cocaine could make her feel. Curiosity overtook rationality and within thirty seconds of sniffing up the white powder, Helga was on cloud nine.

**Three Months Earlier**

Helga had dressed and readied herself at top speed so as to arrive on time at Phoebe's house. Upon getting there she was greeted by Phoebe's father. "Hey Helga. Nice to see you again." "Nice to see you too .", said Helga, " Is Pheebs in?". "Yes.", he replied, "She's up stairs getting ready for that big performance you two are going to see. I'll go get her. Oh! And feel free to come in, it's freezing out there." Helga stepped through the doorway and settled herself onto one of the couches. She could hear the muffled voices of Phoebe and her father from where she sat.

"Phoebe, your friend Helga is waiting for you!"

"Just a second father!"

After a good five minutes, Phoebe emerged from her room dressed in a pair of blue jeans, converses, and a black T-shirt with a picture of an eye with blood seeping out of it (Julie's Tears of Passion's trademark image) and the band's name written in gothic print. She smiled towards Helga and sat herself next to the blonde girl that she had been friends with for years. "Sorry for taking so long Helga.", Phoebe said sheepishly," I got carried away with my trigonometry homework. "

"No prob Pheebs, Trig's hard as hell;I got like a C on that pop quiz gave us last week. Nice outfit by the way. If you were to enter an emo look-alike contest you'd definitely win."

"Very funny Helga." Phoebe replied sarcastically,"It's for the concert."

"Phoebe!", cried ,"I don't want you out any longer than 11:00 understand"

"Understood father", Phoebe replied obediantly, "Good.",said her father,"I'm going to be at a meeting, however, I will be calling you every few hours just make sure you are safe and following my rules of curfew." With that winked at Phoebe and Helga and proceeded to get changed for his important bussiness meeting. Helga looked questioningly at Phoebe and asked why wasn't dropping them off.

"Mother's on a business trip in Portugal so she won't be back for another two weeks. And what with father being gone all the time due to his work at the office, I always have the house to myself."

"Lucky duck." Helga said sarcastically "Miriam's always gone because of her job so I kinda relate to you and Bob and his fat lazy ass is usually seated on our coach watching soap operas. Pathetic."

Phoebe nodded towards her tall, blond friend. Both teens had literally no relationship with their parents. Helga's mom was usually gone at her job and if she wasn't working, she was getting drunk off the meager amount of money she earned. Big Bob slept in all day long and didn't bother to lift a finger when it came to cleaning up the Pataki household thus leaving the job solely for Helga. Phoebe's mother, like Helga's, was always gone due to her job. Usually she went on extravagent trips and would be gone for weeks or even months at a time. was also gone most of the time due to his job.

Once emerged from his room dressed to kill and smelling spicy fresh with cologne, he allowed his daughter and her friend to board his jaguar and sped the two girls off to their desired destination.


	3. Chapter 3

Life is a Dream Chapter 3

Present Day

**Miriam POV**

I can hear the bed beneath me squeaking loudly under the weight of our bodies. Almost as loudly as the moans my client is currently making. Not my husband, my client. Surprise surprise! Miriam Pataki, housewife to Big Bob Pataki, former beeper salesman, is a whore. Sweat drips down his brows as he thrusts his flesh into my own. I arch my back and moments later we both reach our climax. After a brief five minute breather my client, a middle aged man who goes by the name Roger, casually changes back into his business suit and gathers his belongings. "Pleasure doing business with you ", he says smugly and carelessly tosses a handful of hundred dollar bills at my limp figure. I shakily get to me feet and gather my clothing. I feel disgusting and used every time I've finished a session with a client. I despise this job. Sleeping with unknown men, half of them old enough to be _my father_ is a filthy task. But, the amount of money I make in just one session is double the amount I made at my old job at the Mocha Loca coffee shop in an entire week. I feel like a failure as a mother and as a wife… Bob not only lost his job, he lost his passion for his partner. Me. Not once has he held me, kissed me, or made love to me since he'd gotten laid off. Many times we've even considered getting a divorce. Hell, I don't even know how we've stayed together this long. Helga, maybe? I have no relationship whatsoever with my youngest daughter. Not like we had much of one from the get go. In the last three weeks I think I've seen her maybe twice if not less.

Two Hundred and Sixty-four dollars is the amount I manage to count. I've had two other sessions today apart from this one. I have a total of roughly 900 dollars. Enough money to pay the bills, buy groceries, buy alcohol.

Alcohol… just thinking about it makes me crave it all the more. I could do with a glass of wine or two or three (or nine). Got to get those antioxidants in some way or the other.

**Reader's POV**

After Miriam finished redressing herself, she gathered the money she earned from her previous clients and caught a taxi. She asked the man to pullover at a dingy looking shop entitled Sterling Silver. After what seemed like ages, Miriam came out of the alcohol store loaded down with different brands of beers, wines, and coolers. The sight of a fragile and exhausted woman who was all by herself made the taxi driver feel quite sorry for Mrs. Pataki.

"I'm sorry for taking so long." She apologized breathlessly under the heavy load she was carrying, "I was holding a party at my house. I had to pick up a couple of drinks. You know, a party is nothing without a good margarita." The cab driver nodded half-heartedly clearly not buying Miriam's obvious lie. It was nearly four in the morning for crying out loud! Who has parties at such a time? After the taxi driver had helped her with all of the alcoholic beverages she had purchased. Miriam slumped back into the passenger seat of the taxi and let out a loud sigh. For the next forty-five minutes they drove in silence before arriving at the Pataki household. Miriam paid the taxi driver and even offered him a tip which he kindly turned down. After opening the door of their house and being greeted to the site of a clean household (courtesy of Helga. G Pataki)Miriam walked past her husband, who was currently curled up into a ball and snoring loudly on the couch, up the stairs and collapsed, half dead with exhaustion, onto her bed. Within a matter of minutes she had fallen into a deep slumber. However, there was one member of the Pataki household who was far from the safety of a warm and comfortable bed.


End file.
